Traditionally, gaming networks have been custom designed for gaming purposes only. In this regard, gaming networks have been constructed only to include gaming functionality and have lagged behind the rapid growth of network and communications capability available in the computing, communications and Internet industries. FIG. 1 illustrates a network gaming system known in the art. Gaming devices 100 are interconnected with cable 120 (e.g., data line) to form a floor-side, serial (narrow band) network 120. This cable can take the form of multi-wire cable, for example, Belden 8723 cable. Category 5 cable is preferred in many systems due to its guaranteed propagation characteristics and standardization in the cabling industry.
FIG. 1 shows three sets of gaming devices for illustration purposes. Each of lines 120 can support up to 250 gaming devices. A game networking bridge 110 provides a connection from the traditional gaming devices 100, which are interconnected on a serial (narrow band) network 120, to a server-side, slot data server 140, which is interconnected over a backend, broadband network 130. The slot data server 140 has a live backup data server 140. Between the slot data servers 140 is a common database 160. Another broadband connection 150 links the slot data servers 140 and database 160 with player and property management servers 180 and their respective databases 170.
Typically, play on the gaming device 100 generates data related to “coin in,” “coin out,” “drop,” “door opens,” jackpots, and other relevant information. Other examples of data generated during game play include “player-card-in” data, and messages from the backend servers 140 and 180 that are directed to a particular player on the slot machine 100, wherein each slot machine has a player tracking device and display for the player to access information and a keypad for the player to input information.
In many older, or “legacy,” slot systems, the data line 120 is constructed for robust and reliable communications in the harsh environment of the casino, wherein in many cases, slot systems remain up 24 hours a day, 365 days year. Certain legacy slot systems, such as SDS® by Bally Gaming, Inc. of Las Vegas, Nev., were developed in the early 1970's before internet protocol (IP) or packet-based networks, such as the Internet and Ethernet networks, were developed to the current level. The legacy systems were originally designed to provide security and accounting information from the gaming device 100 to the backend server 140 over the cable 120, which was a serial (narrow band) network. Security information included door opens, machine breakdowns, and tilt conditions. Accounting information was related to profit and loss of the operation and used to detect cheating, skimming, and misreporting for tax purposes. The data transmission needs were modest and sporadic in nature. A data rate of 7,200 bits-per-second (bps) was a more than adequate selection for transmission speed since that data rate provided reliable and robust communication, and was by its unusual data rate, a security measure through obscurity.
Player tracking was added to these systems in the late 1980s to provide marketing incentive for the players and casino operators. A player is identified with a magnetic card and the casino operator could thus account for profit and loss due to individual players. Operators could then reward frequent players and entice other players to join their slot club. This provided an incentive for players to patronize one casino operation over another.
An important function of a game networking bridge 110 in prior art systems was to poll the gaming devices 110 on the cable 120. FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art gaming device bridge 110. The bridge 110 contains physical connectors that include, for example, RJ45 connectors, 0.1 inch molex, 0.156 inch molex, or screw terminals. A kernel 308 includes an executing process for polling and receiving messages from the slot floor. This kernel 308 recognizes messages, checks them for errors and proper format, and converts them into a form suitable for subsequent processing. In this type of prior art system, the kernel 308 polls and checks for attached gaming devices and polls those found. It also notices when formerly active devices do not appear anymore and the process reports such a change in status to the slot data server 140.
A multiplexer process 330 accepts inputs and outputs from both the gaming devices 100 on the slot floor and the server 140 (FIG. 1). The messages are tagged with appropriate addressing information and forwarded on to the appropriate party. Socket server processes 380 handle broadband connection and communication through a broadband port 340 to the gaming backend server 140. Typically such communication uses 100 Mbps Ethernet. As such, the socket server processes 380 are required to use TCP/IP protocol, control, and configuration. Thus, the prior art bridge device 110 performs a minimum of intelligent processing on the incoming and outgoing messages. It translates a specific hardware protocol, RS422 used by the kernel 310, into TCP/IP for the port 340. In this regard, address information is modified, as are physical transport and data rate aspects.
Recently, however, casino owners have become aware that the addition of features to gaming machines and the increasing need for operational efficiency, are driving the current proprietary gaming networks toward much greater capabilities such as full-duplex (two-way) connectivity and higher speed (e.g., 100 Mbps or greater) plus improved analytic features. These improvements are expected to bring the player greater game choices, more rapid renewal of the slot floor entertainment options, and greater operational efficiency for the operator. These translate into increased revenue generation and improved profits.
An issue with moving to a new, higher speed gaming network is the business nature of the gaming operation. Typically gaming operations run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year. Every minute they are operating they are making money. Thus any downtime for maintenance, repair, or upgrade is quite costly in terms of lost time and revenue.
Additionally, it is costly to install the wires, due to slot floors typically employing “Walker Duct” in which the communications cables are buried inside the concrete floor. New wiring requires pulling new cables, or in some instances, the cutting of the concrete. Modern networking infrastructure is expensive as well. The routers, hub, switches, and such, consume a great deal of capital expense. Capital expenditure budgets may not allow a complete re-wiring of a slot floor in one year.
Further, newer commercial communication technology is unproven in the gaming-specific data transmission application. There is concern about viability, reliability, and operation under stress. Moreover, casinos have thousands of slot machines they would like to continue to use as new networking technology is rolled out, since the casino already has a great deal of slot floor interfacing equipment.
Additionally, there are many different ways to communicate to slot machines today and to slot systems. New protocols are being developed. However, for the reasons stated above, it is presently difficult to take advantage of the new protocols.
Thus, it would be desirable to be able to migrate, or swap out, gaming devices on the gaming floor to use new communication formats and technology without the need to do so all at once, disrupting operations and game play in a casino. Accordingly, in light of the discussion above, those skilled in the art would recognize the need for a system that is capable migrating, or swapping out, gaming devices on the gaming floor to use new communication formats and technology without the requirement to do so all at once. The preferred embodiments of the system and method described herein clearly addresses this and other needs.